"I-it's Senior Sister!"
"Wow, Senior Sister is so cool! She went straight for the Sword Puppet!"
The moment Luo Lan leaped onto the arena, all the outer-sect disciples in the square erupted.
Senior Sister was a legend in their hearts. Many of them had been saved by her on the battlefield.
So a great many cheered her on.
"Go, Senior Sister!"
Chen Changming looked excited, too. He silently sent Senior Sister his best wishes.
Though it had been caught off guard, the Sword Puppet still wielded its sword with practiced composure. Its whole body flickered repeatedly, evading the sheet of sword light, then it sprang high into the air and thrust its sword at Luo Lan's chest.
Luo Lan seemed to have been ready for this. She swung her sword sharply, and a series of sword blossoms formed a wall that blocked the Sword Puppet's attack.
"Good!"
Elder Luo couldn't help clapping in approval.
His precious granddaughter truly had a talent for swordsmanship. She had used Iron Wall Returning Wind with remarkable finesse, showing a hint of his own style in his younger days.
Clang, clang, clang!
The two swords clashed again and again, ringing sharply as the two figures darted through the air and across the ground, fighting fiercely.
Chen Changming watched quietly, continually assessing the Sword Puppet's strength.
After the time it took to brew a cup of tea, Luo Lan suddenly vaulted into the air and landed off the arena.
A light rose from the Sword Puppet's head and formed four small swords in midair.
"Four-Part Sword Intent!"
"Senior Sister is amazing!"
"So impressive..."
The outer-sect disciples in the square cried out in shock and envy.
Even the inner-sect disciples from the other peaks couldn't help admiring the best among the outer-sect disciples for her outstanding performance.
"Little Junior Brother, just do as I did when you go up. Once you've fought for a while, come down. That way, you won't get hurt."
Luo Lan patted Chen Changming on the shoulder and said with a grin.
The beautiful young woman's face was faintly flushed, and a fine sheen of sweat had gathered on her forehead.
Her eyes crinkled with delight, and her bright, limpid eyes curved into a lovely crescent moon.
"All right, Senior Sister."
Chen Changming smiled, too. Senior Sister was beautiful and kindhearted. It was truly his good fortune to have met her at Lingxiao Sect.
Luo Lan pressed her lips together and gave the youth a meaningful look.
No one in all of Lingxiao Sect knew just how formidable the boy before her was at the Lingxiao Sword Technique. In barely more than half a year, he had already surpassed her.
Once Little Junior Brother took the stage, he was sure to astound everyone.
After Shi Kelang and Luo Lan had opened the True Intent Tournament, one person after another took the stage to challenge the Sword Puppet.
The atmosphere grew even more intense.
The talented disciples from each peak took their turns on the stage, and one record after another was broken, bringing the excitement to a fever pitch.
"Wow, Six-Part True Intent!"
Someone cried out.
Six-Part True Intent was the highest result of the day.
"As expected of Lingxiao Sect's number one genius..."
Sect Master Li Yue looked at the tall figure in the square and nodded with satisfaction.
Qin Changtian, the top inner-sect disciple of Gengjin Peak, was at the Foundation Establishment realm and was also Lingxiao Sect's greatest prodigy.
He was famed throughout Lingxiao Sect.
But he usually kept to himself and cultivated in silence, rarely appearing in public.
After Li Yue spoke, the senior leaders of Lingxiao Sect all looked at Qin Changtian with approving eyes.
barring any surprises, once Li Yue stepped down, Qin Changtian would surely be the next sect master of Lingxiao Sect.
"This young man is quite impressive."
Elder Luo praised him, but a strange look appeared in his eyes.
In a few years, he would have to find a way to arrange a marriage between his granddaughter and Qin Changtian. That way, the standing of House Luo would grow even stronger.
As time passed, fewer and fewer people took the stage. By then, nearly everyone who had learned the Lingxiao Sword Technique had challenged the Sword Puppet.
"Huh, why hasn't that Chen Changming gone up?"
Guo Haichuan deliberately glanced at Elder Luo and muttered pointedly.
Elder Luo frowned, cursing the old bastard Guo Haichuan for his malicious intentions. If that Chen kid took the stage, wouldn't it be a slap in his granddaughter's face?
And a slap in his granddaughter's face was a slap in House Luo's face.
He wanted to fire back, but his spirits were too low. The words stuck in his throat, and all he could do was lower his head and keep quiet.
Seeing this, Guo Haichuan smiled smugly.
"Is anyone else going up?"
The elder in charge of the tournament looked over the crowd and asked in a low voice.
"I am!"
Luo Lan raised her hand and called out.
Seeing that no one else was taking the stage, Chen Changming finally emerged from the crowd and walked straight toward the arena.
"My heavens, that good-for-nothing is going up!"
Some inner-sect disciple called out, whether deliberately or not, and the entire crowd burst into laughter.
A good-for-nothing with a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root wanted to challenge the Sword Puppet?
Who did he think he was?
Mockery, ridicule, contempt, and even curses poured in from every direction, like little streams converging in the ears of the youth heading for the arena.
The youth was unmoved.
After watching for so long, he was utterly confident in his swordsmanship.
If his guess was right, by unleashing the Lingxiao Sword Technique with all his strength, he could earn a Seven-Part True Intent rating!
But he didn't want to go all out.
He was only an outer-sect disciple, still seen by everyone as that good-for-nothing with a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root. Revealing his true strength too soon would easily invite envy.
If a good-for-nothing with a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root outshone Lingxiao Sect's greatest genius, how much hatred would that bring down on him?
He was only at the third level of Qi Refining. No matter how powerful his swordsmanship was, it couldn't protect him from attacks by those with higher cultivation.
"This boy certainly has a good temperament."
Seeing Chen Changming remain unfazed as he leaped onto the arena, Elder Luo couldn't help praising him.
"Challenging the Sword Puppet takes real strength."
Lin Tian, peak master of Gengjin Peak, remarked coolly.
Elder Luo's face turned livid.
"These bastards are just waiting to see me make a fool of myself, aren't they?" he cursed inwardly, his gaze fixed on the figure standing on the arena.
He hadn't seen the boy in some time, and he seemed different from before.
On the arena.
Countless eyes gathered on him, waiting for the youth to make his move.
The Sword Puppet stood motionless in the center, its eyes blank, its sword drooping at its side.
"Void-Breaking Soul Slash!"
Chen Changming charged at the Sword Puppet, the tip of his sword pointing skyward. Then he slashed down in an instant, sending out a sword light as swift as lightning.
As the saying went, one glance at a master's first move was enough to tell the tale.
Chen Changming's very first move stunned the senior leaders of Lingxiao Sect.
"This..."
Li Yue was momentarily stunned.
Was this really a good-for-nothing with a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root? If his eyes weren't deceiving him, that move was executed with exquisite precision. Even many of the sect's inner-sect disciples couldn't have reached such a level in a mere half a year.
"Good!"
Elder Luo clapped in praise.
His old face flushed, his blood raced, and his heart soared. That first move alone should earn at least two points of True Intent. It was every bit as good as Shi Kelang of Skyfire Peak.
Considering how long he had been practicing, Chen Changming, an outer-sect disciple, would absolutely crush Shi Kelang!
The Sword Puppet moved, too.
With one sword stroke, it broke through Chen Changming's attack. Then, following the motion of its body, it swept a wave of sword light forward with one hand, crashing down like a mighty river.
Chen Changming wasn't afraid. He fought the Sword Puppet, too.
He carefully controlled the power of the Lingxiao Sword Technique, keeping it at the level of its first enhancement and making sure it didn't go too far beyond that.
Even so, he left everyone dumbstruck.
Outer-sect and inner-sect disciples alike stared, gaping, at the swift figure in the air above the arena.
"How is this possible? That good-for-nothing has actually reached this level?"
Shi Kelang roared in disbelief.
"Indeed. I never thought he'd have such talent for the sword. He reached this level in just half a year. Could he really have a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root? Maybe there was a mistake in his test?"
Ma Tianxing frowned.
The Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root was the most useless kind in the world, with utterly abysmal aptitude. Someone with one could never have such strength.
Many people shared Ma Tianxing's view.
For a moment, it seemed no one regarded Chen Changming as a good-for-nothing with a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root anymore.
After the fight had gone on for a while, Chen Changming suddenly jumped down from the arena.
He had tested himself enough. There was no need to keep fighting, and he didn't want to stand out too much and invite envy.
Whoosh!
A light rose and transformed into four small swords in midair.
"Four-Part True Intent!"
Countless people cried out. This guy had only been practicing for half a year, yet he had already caught up with the outer sect's Senior Sister.
"Congratulations, Little Junior Brother."
Luo Lan winked at Chen Changming and giggled.
She could tell that Little Junior Brother hadn't gone all out. Otherwise, he could have earned at least a Five-Part True Intent rating.